Brush and brush material



Aug. 5, 1958 R. o. PETERSON 2,845,648

BRUSH AND BRUSH MATERIAL Filed March 18, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

06% QMJ United States Patent "BRUSH AND BRUSH MATERIAL *Ruben .0. Peterson, University Heights, Ohio,.-assignor,.to :The Osborn Manufacturing Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio .Application March 18, 1954, Serial N05416989 12 Claims. (Cl. 15-159) .Thiszinvention relates 'as indicated to a novel brush rand brush material, and more particularly to plastic :coated wire brush bristle material mounted in a back ip'OIftiOn OI' sheetorstrip of plastic material unitary'with ztheplastic material coating such wires.

In the co-pending application of Ruben 0. Peterson and IiletcherC. Miles, Serial 'No. 595,'42'2, 'filed May' 23, .1945, :now Patent No. 2,672,640, there are disclosed certain trnethods for thesmanufacture of brushes and the ilike'zwherein'plastic brush bristle material is joined'to'a :pla'stic :base portion, ordinarily preferably a relatively IlhiIl'ifiBXibl6.ShC6tOl strip. In one preferred embodisment, :a bundle of such plastic bristles is tightly "held while compatible molten plastic .isintruded into one=end 'Ofif-SIlCh bundle'ito interfuse the ends of 'the plastic-strands itherewith fand'z'thereby form a unitary continuous base inwhich they merge. The present invention is concerned with a special form of brush andbrush material :whichmaybe produced and-utilized 'in'agenerally similar'fmanner.

.It ris a'principal object of this invention to provide Wire brush bristle. material and brushes utilizing'the-same wherein thewwires are coated and-protected by individual sheathsor coatings of plasticmaterial.

v It is another object to provide such brush'material wherein the wire core portions maybe of exceptional hardness, having a Knoop hardness of'700 or more, and yet the suitable 'for relatively hard-usage without an excessive' ten'dency toward long "fracture.

Aifurther object is to provide brushes 'andthe'like utilizing such brush bristlematerial having-plasticback or'tbase portions mergingwith the plastic sheaths of the individual bristles and with the core portions penetrating an appreciable distance into such'baseor back.

Other-objects of my *invention'will appear as the 'description proceeds.

'To the accomplishment ofithe foregoing and related ends, said invention .then comprises the features hereinafter' fully described and particularly pointed out'in the claims, the following description 'andthe annexed drawing setting forth in detail certainillustrativeembodiments of 'the*inventionythesebeing indicative, however, of but'a fewo-f the various ways in whichtheprinciple-of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. '1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal'sectiomthrough one of my' new brush bristles showing the internal'construction of the same;

"Fig.2 is a transverse section'taken on'the'lineZ-Z on Fig. 1;

Fig-"Kiss diagrammatic elevational view of a portion of'a brush'element. or the like having a thinflexible plastic base with crimped spaced brush material secured therein and extending therefromin accordance with my invention;

'Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of another form .of brush .elementhaving a back. comprising arigid .block 2 of plastic with straight densely packed brush material merged therewith and extending therefrom;

Fig. 5 shows "a rotary brush element utilizing astrip 'brush element accordingto my-invention mounted within a sheet metal 'channelform back; and

'Fig. '6 isa "transverse cross-sectiontaken 6-6 on'Fig. '5.

Referring now moreparticularly to said-drawing, .the "brush material employed in accordance-with -my invention may be of the general type disclosedin my copending application Serial No. 58,670, filed November 6, 1948. The wire core 1 may, for example, behard steel wire (severe quench and aminimum draw ':back) beryllium copper wire, stainless steel 'wire, TZ" nickel wire '(hard drawn, heat treated, relatively'pure nickel) and also for certain purposes 'a :number "of softer wires such as copper, "brass, bronze and'aluminum'alloy. Such wire core is ordinarily a monofilament.

Theplastic coatingmaterial employed on suchifilamentous element should ordinarily be able'towithstand reasonably high operating temperatures without softening orsmearing thework. Preferred examples include nylon (polyamide resins), vinyl plastics (vinyl polymers and copolymers), and trifluorochloroethylene polymer. Other plastics "such as neoprene (polychloroprcne) and Hycar (modified copolymers of butadiene and "acrylonitr'ile) as well as rubber and-melamineiresins "(melamine-formaldehyde reaction products) may "be employed in some cases, particularly when compounded toexhibit-properties similar to nylon.

It will be understood that in employing such plastics the same will commonly have included therewithsuitable fillers as well as 'the usual vulcanizing 'agents or the like to produce the resilient plastic composition for 'my purpose.

Thethin-plastic coating'may be applied to the stranded material by extrusion or any other suitable :metho'd. When employing wire brush material,-plastic compounds such as-those'-having aneoprene basemay, if desired, have their bond to such brush materialimproved by'f'first applying a cement to the'material, such cement'preferably comprising a synthetic 'rubber and resin "composition such'as is commercially available under the' name of Ty-Ply-S (Vanderbilt). The 'materialshoulddhen be properly dried before applying the-plasticcoating material.

When'nylon is employed as the coating material 2, it will ordinarily be preferred'first to coat'thewire 1 with a thin film of an Epon resin '3 which serves to-bond the nylon much more efiectively to the wire. "Such"re'sin is'a condensation polymer-containing the epoxide group and is compatible with thenylon, bonding therewith when the -nylon-is applied at510" F. and setting without "frothing since no volatiles are involved. It is commerciallyavailable from Shell Chemical Company (see booklet Epon 'Resins).

For many purposes, it is preferred thatmy brush bristle-material be'crimped, both to minimizelocal-con centrations of stress in use and also to aiiord a somewhat less dense and solidworking face to the *brush element. As diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3, crimped'strands or bristles '4-havingwire cores 1 in accordance with my invention'rnay be assembled and joinedto an "integral fiexibleplastic' sheet base "5' preferably formed by "application of molten plastic to the ends of a bundle'of crimped bristle material so that such-molten plasticforms a portion of the sheet base, the-remainderbeingformed by the plastic'coatings of the end portions of the. strands or bristles. Consequently, the ends 6 of-wire cores 1 are,firmly embedded in the base sheet 5 and theplas'tic coatings 4- of the wire gradually merge andblendainteon the line grally with such sheet base as shown in the broken portion of Fig. 3, ordinarily with a slight rim or meniscus 7 of the intruded plastic extending a short distance around the adjacent basal portion of the strand to form in effect a supporting socket therefor.

When thus employing crimped brush material, the ends of the strands in even a firmly compacted bundle will be somewhat spaced as shown, facilitating the intrusion of molten plastic therebetween. The plastic of base portion 5 will, of course, ordinarily be the same as that of the coating 4.

When desired, a somewhat different form of brush may be produced utilizing a relatively large amount of plastic to form a rigid base 8 (Fig. 4) with the plastic coated wire brush bristles 9 extending therefrom, the ends of such bristles being embedded in and merged with back 8 in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3. Crimped brush bristle material may be utilized in the Fig. 4 embodiment, but in this view the coated bristles are shown as being straight and densely packed together. Even when thus densely packed, there will ordinarily be a degree of capillary action therebetween to cause the liquid plastic which is to solidify and form the bulk of back 8 to enter between the ends of the coated bristles to form sockets supporting the latter with the extreme end portions of the bristle coatings integrally merged with the plastic of the back.

When the back or base portion 5' is in the form of a relatively narrow elongated flexible strip, for example, p

it may be mounted within a sheet metal channelform back 10 and circularized (either helically or to form a single turn) with such plastic base portion 5 gripped or clamped between the sides 11 and 12 of the sheet metal back and with the bristle material 13 extending generally radially therefrom. In this arrangement, the base strip 5 may be relatively rigid transversely due to the narrowness of the strip while yet being flexible enough to permit such circularization. vVhen thus circularized, the brush bristle material 13 will, of course, be somewhat less dense at the outer periphery or working face of the tool and may be laterally compacted by the inturned channel sides 11 and 12 which embrace and support the same. It will often be desirable to cement the strip 5 to the supporting back and Epon resins may be used for this purpose. Brush strip of this general type may likewise be circularized with the strands or bristles proj cting generally radially inwardly, if desired.

In addition to use in the form of relatively narrow strips, my new material may also be employed in wider 0 sheets adapted to be used as golf tees, for example, or cemented on flat supports to serve as a blanking table, as when blanking out cardboard. It may also be mounted on rotary discs for brushing or polishing purposes.

While particularly desirable and effective with wire centered plastic coated strands, which afford increased rigidity and cutting action, various other core materials such as glass fiber may be employed. By my method I join together a plurality of wire or equivalent bristles which are interconnected and retained by a flexible plastic sheet material base unitary with the coatings on such wires. By crimping the wire the effectiveness of such method is much enhanced, as explained above.

The brush or brush-like element thus produced is useful for a wide variety of purposes, including seals. Certain subject-matter disclosed but not claimed herein is disclosed and claimed in my copending application Brush Seal and the Like, Serial No. 417,130, filed March 18, 1954.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

l. A brush element comprising a thin flexible nylon sheet base and crimped brush bristle material secured thereto and extending therefrom generally normal to such sheet, the individual crimped strands of said brush material each comprising a single wire having a thin coating of an epoxide resin and an outer coating of nylon, the end of said wire being substantially embedded in said sheet and the end portion of said nylon coating merging in unitary manner with such sheet, with a portion of the nylon of such sheet surrounding and embedding the basal portion of the strand but not integrally merged therewith.

2. A brush element comprising a thin flexible sheet base and crimped brush bristle material joined thereto and extending therefrom generally normal to such sheet, the individual crimped bristles each comprising a wire core having a thin outer coating of protective plastic, one end of said wire core extending into said sheet with the corresponding end portion of said plastic coating physically merging in an integral manner with the material of said sheet, and with the surface portion of said sheet surrounding and bonding the coated bristle further to secure and support the same without integrally merging with said coating in this region.

3. A filamentous element comprising a plastic base portion, and a plurality of crimped plastic strands secured thereto and extending in generally side-by-side relationship therefrom, said plastic strands integrally merging at their ends with the material of said base, and such material of said base also extending a short distance further along said strands without integrally merging therewith better to support the same.

4. A filamentous element in accordance with claim 3 wherein said plastic base is secured within a sheet metal channelform back with the sides of said back closely em- 7 bracing said strands.

5. A filamentous element comprising a plastic base portion, and a plurality of plastic strands secured there.- to and extending in generally side-by-side relationship therefrom, said plastic strands integrally merging at their ends with the material of said base, and such material of said base also extending a short distance further along said strands without integrally merging therewith better to support the same.

6. A filamentous element comprising a plastic base portion, and a plurality of plastic strands secured thereto and extending in generally side-by-side relationship therefrom, the inner ends of said strands being slightly spaced and integrally merging with the material of said base, and such material of said base also extending a short distance further along said strands without integrally merging therewith better to support the same.

7. A filamentous element comprising a plastic base portion, and a plurality of composite strands secured thereto and extending in generally side-by-side relationship therefrom, said strands having inner cores of reinforcing material extending into said base portion and plastic sheaths individually surrounding said cores and integrally merged with said base portion.

8. A filamentous element comprising a plastic base portion, and a plurality of crimped wire strands secured thereto and extending in generally side-by-side relationship therefrom, said wire strands being individually provided with plastic sheaths integrally merging at their inner ends with the material of said base, and such material of said base also extending a short distance further along said strands without integrally merging there with better to support the same.

9. A brush element comprising a thin flexible shect base and crimped brush bristle material secured thereto and extending therefrom generally normal to sucl sheet, the individual crimped strands of said brush material COmprisin" a wire core having an outer coating oi plastic, the end of said wire being embedded in said sheet and the end portion of said plastic coating merging ir unitary manner with such sheet, with a portion of said sheet being of plastic and a portion of such plastic of said sheet further surrounding and embedding the basal portion of the composite strand but not integrally merged therewith.

10. A filamentous element comprising a base portion including a plastic layer, and a plurality of wavy filaments secured thereto and extending therefrom generally normal to said base, said individual wavy filaments comprising a hard core having a thin coating of an epoxide resin adhered thereon and an outer coating of nylon adhered over said resin coating, the inner ends of said wavy filaments being embedded in said plastic layer of said base with a portion of said plastic layer surrounding, embedding, and adhesively gripping the basal portions of said filaments.

11. A brush-like filamentous element comprising a support portion andfilamentous material secured thereto and extending individually therefrom, said filamentous material comprising a large number of generally parallel filaments having hard filamentous cores, 8. thin adhesive epoxide resin coating on said cores, and outer plastic coatings adhered to said resin coatings.

12. A brush-like filamentous elemen't comprising a support portion and filamentous material secured thereto and extending individually therefrom, said filamentous material comprising a large number of generally parallel filaments having hard filamentous cores, thin adhesive coatings on said cores, and outer plastic coatings adhered to said adhesive coatings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,800 Frisbie Ian. 24, 1888 1,408,951 Kern Mar. 7, 1922 1,482,415 Seaboyer Feb. 5, 1924 1,674,236 Bauer June 19, 1928 2,027,884 Schwab Jan. 14, 1936 2,100,138 Heldt Nov. 23, 1937 2,207,158 Neville July 19, 1940 2,511,004 Peterson June 13, 1950 2,607,064 Sullivan Aug. 19, 1952 2,648,084 Swart Aug. 11, 1953 2,718,024 Maynard Sept. 20, 1955 

